Pack for smoking articles

• US 6,474,469 B1
• Filed: 05/05/2000
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Inventors: Taylor, Rodney George, Luton, Colin Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): FOSTER, JIMMY G
• Application Number:
  US09/744,024
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 206/242, 206/256, 206/268, 206/271, 206/273, 206/459.5, 229/116.1, 229/145, 229/146, 229/160.1
• US Class Current: 206/268
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/00 Decoration means, markings, information elements, contents indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/1045 having a cap-like lid hinged to an edge
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/1081 Inserts or accessories added or joined to the container, e.g. coins, pens, cards, spacers B65D85/1009 takes precedence

Abstract

A pack for smoking articles having a cut-away section in the front which reveals a backing member. The backing member may be hingedly connected to the front panel of the pack by Z-folds to ensure identical color and location registration in the cut-away.

Claims

1. A pack for elongate smoking articles comprising:

a lid, a body, and a hinge connection by which the lid is hingedly connected to the body;

front, rear and sides formed by both the lid and the body each having a respective front panel, rear panel, and a pair of side panels;

the lid further having a top panel remote from the body, and the body further having a base panel remote from the lid;

said hinge connection being defined by a fold between the rear lid panel and the rear body panel and being substantially parallel to top and bottom edges of the pack;

the front of the pack having a portion that is cut away to reveal a backing member disposed within the pack;

the hinge connection also being substantially parallel to an imaginary line extending between lowermost points of side edges of the front panel of the lid; and

the cut-away portion having edges, with at least some of the edges defining the cut-away portion having sections folded inwardly of the pack so that the backing member is more inwardly recessed behind the front of the pack.

2. A pack as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cut-away portion is located in the body front panel or the lid front panel or in a combination of both.

3. A pack as claimed in claim 2 wherein there is no cut-away portion in the lid so that said imaginary line coincides with a lowermost edge of the lid front panel.

4. A pack as claimed in claim 1 wherein all of the edges defining the cut-away portion have inwardly folded sections.

5. A pack as claimed in claim 1 wherein a lower edge of the front lid panel forms an upper extremity of the cut-away portion when the pack is closed.

6. A pack as claimed in claim 5 wherein the lower edge of the front lid panel abuts an upper edge of the front body panel.

7. A pack as claimed in claim 6 wherein the backing member is formed integrally with and is hingedly connected with respect to the upper edge of the front body panel.

8. A pack as claimed in claim 6 wherein the backing member is connected to the upper edge of the front body panel by two spaced tabs which form Z-folds.

9. A pack as claimed in claim 8 wherein the cut-away portion is defined wholly within the front body panel.

10. A pack as claimed in claim 8 wherein the cut-away portion borders on the upper edge of the front body panel so that the cut-away portion is open at the upper extremity thereof.

11. A pack as claimed in claim 10 wherein the backing member is also connected to a lower edge of the cut-away portion by an intermediate tab which also forms a parallel Z-fold, a longitudinal depth of the intermediate tab being substantially the same as that of the two spaced tabs.

12. A pack as claimed in claim 11 wherein the cut-away portion has a pair of lateral edges extending between respective ends of the lower edge of the cut-away portion and the upper edge of the front body panel such that the cut-away portion is defined by the lateral edges and the lower edge thereof.

13. A pack as claimed in claim 12 wherein said lateral edges have sections folded inwardly of the body.

14. A pack as claimed in claim 1 wherein the backing member is hingedly connected to side members which lie inwardly of the respective body side panels and project upwardly therefrom.

15. A pack as claimed in claim 1 wherein a part of the backing member which lies behind the cut-away portion of the front body panel has printed matter thereon.